Stay
by XxDearInsanityxX
Summary: Oh can't you tell I haven't slept very well since the last time that we spoke..?


Hey guys! It's me! Okay, so. Lemme check…uh..nope. Don't own Naruto or the song that inspired this (Stay by Mayday Parade). Won't tonight, tomorrow, next year, you get the point. OKAY. So, here's your story:

"_Oh can you tell, I haven't slept very well  
Since the last time that we spoke, you said  
Please understand if I see you again don't even say hello."_

I watched as my katana slid effortlessly through another one of the enemy-nin that I was assigned to kill, a grunt of pain escaped his throat before he fell to the ground, dead. His blood pooling around him, I watched as it moved toward my feet I merely stepped back and watched as he got paler and more stiff every passing minute. I sighed and jumped back into the trees, on my way back to Kohana. The trip wasn't very long, I wasn't allowed too far out of the borders of Kohana seeing as how I just got off of my probation four months ago. But, I suppose it was a fair punishment. I did abandon the only home I knew in order to kill Itachi, which I did of course.

When I came home, broken and bloody, I was greeted by a smiling Naruto, who was bandaged up and accompanied by the small Hyuuga girl from our rookie days. Hinata, I believe was her name? Kakashi, who stood there, his one visible eye crinkling in a smile and the bright orange book in his hand and Sakura, who didn't smile but, stood with her lips pressed together tightly.

It took me months, six to be exact, to get her to say anything to me. Even though she had treated me a countless number of times in the hospital, we had gone out several times as Team 7 again and had managed to go on three or four, very simple, missions alone together; she had never spoken a word to me. It took me eight to realize what she had become, no longer the pleading, weak girl she was but, now a strong and independent Anbu operative and a year to make her mine. Then, seven months after that, I went and ruined it all.

_Flashback:_

_ "Sasuke-kun! How do I look?" She was wearing a deep red kimono that had Sakura blossoms gathered at the bottom and at the ends of the sleeves and a white obi that was tied tightly to show off her curves. Her shoulder-length bubblegum colored hair was up in a bun and her bangs were swept to one side of her face. Simple silver accessories hung from the chopsticks she used to put up her hair. Her bright emerald eyes were surrounded by a light gold eye shadow, her cheeks were rosy and her lips a deep pink. She looked beautiful, sexy and cute, all in one. How the hell?_

_ "Hn." She huffed and turned around. I snuck my hands around her waist and put my mouth next to her ear. "You look like a goddess. I don't even deserve to be able to do this." _

_ "D-do what?" She asked, blushing madly, as she turned and I crashed my lips to her unbelievably soft ones. _

_ We headed off to the festival and everything went so perfect, then Kiba had to walk in and ruin it all. _

_ "WOW! SAKURA-CHAN! YOU LOOK AMAZING!" He shouted, obviously a little past his alcohol limit. My grip around her waist tightened._

_ "Ah, thank you Kiba-kun." I'm sure my grip was bruising her by now; all I wanted was to see the mutt leave us alone. If he didn't leave soon, I didn't know how long I was going to be able to hold back. The only thing that's holding me back is my hold on Sakura._

_ "How come you never dressed up like that when we dated?" I'm surprised I didn't break the small girl in half. I almost lost control. I felt everything flash and Sakura sensed it. She put her hands on my shoulders and sighed._

_ "Kiba-kun. Go find Pig. She's looking for you." The drunken dog stumbled away, calling for Ino._

_ The rest of the night was a blur, some words were exchanged. She yelled, I yelled. She threw things, I threw things and the next thing I knew she was walking out of the front gate of the Uchiha Compound with her bags trailing on the ground. _

_End flashback_

Lost in my own thoughts, I tripped, barely making contact with the next branch and I mentally cursed myself, quickly getting back up to my original pace. But, not before I quickly scanned the surrounding area for any witnesses of my little stumble. I was pretty close to the main entrance of Kohana and it wasn't unheard of for rookie teams to have stupid missions out in this area. Satisfied no one saw, I quickly made my way into Kohana and into the Hokage Tower.

I knocked once and entered, not waiting for the dobe to answer me.

"Oi. Teme. You could've at least waited until I said to come inside. Sakura-chan and I were actually having an interesting conversation." He said with his finger wagging in the air like he was an old man.

_ Sakura? I didn't even notice she was here. _I thought, looking over to the dobe's desk to see a small figure, clad in an Anbu uniform with their mask sitting on the desk in between two of the stacks of paperwork. Her panda mask was hanging loosely around her neck and her hair was up in tight bun, her bangs covering her, once too large, forehead and swept to her left side. Her bright jade eyes were dulled slightly, and I noticed she was biting her lip and a light rose color dusted over usually pale cheeks. She looked at me and inclined her head slightly before standing up abruptly, walking over to Naruto, whispering something in his ear and disappearing in a swirl of cherry blossom petals.

"You two still not talking?" Naruto asked his eyes downcast.

"Hn." I grunted in reply. _No. We weren't. _

"She is hurting teme, what happened between you two…it wasn't pretty." He said, moving towards me.

_She's hurting?_ _What about me? No one ever stopped to think that just maybe I was more hurt than Sakura? That watching half the male population, not to mention some of her female suitors, of Kohana take their chances hurt? My chest ached, I couldn't sleep like I could before…when she was there, and I just was in a state of decline_. Instead of saying that, and revealing that I did have feelings, I stepped back towards the door and took the bird mask from my face.

"I will have the mission report for you tomorrow, Hokage-sama." He flinched at the formal name and sighed:

"Alright Uchiha-san. You are dismissed." I nodded and disappeared in a familiar flicker of flames.

I walked into the deserted Uchiha compound and moved quickly toward my home. The same home I lived in as a child. I removed my shoes at the door and slid the door back, stepping inside. The familiar scent of cherries and vanilla invaded my senses.

_ Sakura._

I moved toward the scent and what I saw surprised me, to say the absolute least. She was sitting on the bed we once shared and was fumbling with her hands. Once I had walked into the room she stood up quickly with a loud 'eep!' and then bowed her head.

"I-I am sorry to be invading like this Sasuke," _No kun. Just Sasuke. "_But, I needed to talk to you."

"About?" _Please say what I think you are._

"What happened between us, I don't think it was…right. I mean, we were both frustrated with failed missions, the amount of missions was so stressful, I was working so many shifts at the hospital and I just…never felt good enough to be with you." She spoke confidently, her head up and her voice strong and her attitude never wavering.

For the first time in the last eight weeks, I smiled. Seeing this she kept talking but, I had heard more than I needed to hear.

"Sakura. Stop." She looked at me and her eyes blazed with anger at being commanded but, also sparkled with curiosity. "Ne?"

"You are way _too _good for me. I should be the one who feels inadequate. You stayed by my side, even though you were silent, you were _always _there. You never let me fall and I love you more than I love myself. I am sorry for what happened, it just hurt to know that the mutt held you like I did, that you were his _first-" _I was cut off by her laughing. Laughing?

"So, you're telling me you ended us because you were _jealous_ of Kiba? How can I say I'm not surprised?" She shook her head and sighed before looking up at me, "Sasuke-kun, I love you. I don't want this anymore. I want to be yours, I want…you."

I didn't miss the way her cheeks reddened and I smirked and leaned down, "Let's go get your things. It's been pretty lonely without you here…." She smiled before putting her index finger to her bottom lip.

"I can tell you haven't been sleeping well. You look like shit."

"Ah. Thank you…" She laughed and took my hand, leading me downstairs out of the door and onto the streets of Kohana. She was talking a mile a minute of everything that I'd missed while we were broken up (she was the social one in the relationship ya know) and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my lips.


End file.
